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North Cook News

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Analysis: Skokie Firefighters Pension Fund would go bankrupt in 36 years without taxpayer subsidy

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Without members and taxpayers subsidizing its revenue, the Skokie Firefighters Pension Fund would have lost $2,167,211 in 2018, according to a North Cook News analysis of the latest data reported to the Illinois Department of Insurance Pension Division.

The fund has $77,447,810 in total assets. If the fund’s annual losses stay the same, it would run out of money in 36 years without these subsidies.

The fund earned $6,451,114 in investment income and other revenue in 2018. At the same time, it paid out $8,618,325 in expenses, according to the 2019 biennial report detailing the health of each of the state’s pension funds and retirement systems. The difference between the two shows the fund’s annual loss without subsidies.

Taxpayers added $4,825,390 to the fund’s revenue last year – an amount that has increased from $2,387,896 five years ago. Members contributed an additional $1,129,163 – $303,904 more than five years ago.

In all, subsidies amounted to $5,954,553 in 2018.

Skokie Firefighters Pension Fund non-subsidy revenue over five years
YearTotal non-subsidy revenueTotal expensesOutcome without subsidies
2018$6,451,114$8,618,325-$2,167,211
2017$6,798,102$7,764,315-$966,213
2016-$1,093,935$7,326,634-$8,420,569
2015$5,580,072$7,045,787-$1,465,715
2014$5,541,118$6,349,094-$807,976

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